A Gleaming Pendant
by ThankNamineSomeday
Summary: "I'm tellin' ya boy, don't go anywhere near that forest, it's for your own good." His raspy voice warned. "I won't." He responded, his lips forming a small smirk, already forming a plan on how to sneak out of his window later that night. But who knew venturing to deep into a forest would make his simple life so complicated?
1. The Pattering of Rain

A lone female figure eerily emerged from the shadows, being agile and silent as she absconded, a blue bundle of blankets cradled protectively to her chest. She stopped suddenly, her wine colored orbs scanning her surroundings in caution, before she narrowed them in anger, and a shiver of fear ran down her spine, upon feeling a golden pair of eyes glaring holes in her back.

She bolted, the only sound being her black sneakers slapping roughly against the black pavement. She would not, under any circumstances, let them have their way, she thought determinedly, her brow furrowed slightly.

The knowledgeable woman she had chosen to seek advice from earlier that day had urged her to take him as far away as possible. Then, she had spontaneously transported them both here, giving her several specific numbers on a piece of worn paper, before disappearing in a lavender mist. Leaving her deserted on the sand filled, sea scented atmosphere alone.

She snuck a swift glance down at the paper, it had led her to a hidden place between the city and beaches, a quiet area, lined with small stone houses. They each looked the same, making it difficult to tell which house was which, especially during the night. She carefully scanned the large metal numbers that were sturdily drilled into their doors. The woman hadn't specified what the numbers given to her were meant for, but she figured it was a sign. After all, she was about three numbers off.

Hearing an evil cackle somewhere near, she whipped around in fierce anger. Knowing full well he was toying with her. Her lips formed a deep scowl, silently daring him to come out. She turned swiftly, returning to the task at hand. Taking a step back in shock upon hearing a low growl, and accidentally stepping on the back of her black skirt, losing balance, as she fell backwards. Her hand holding the bundle tightly to her chest. She turned, lifting three thin fingers, closing her eyes as a white transparent shield enveloped the pair, preventing them from getting injured. She floated in midair, kicking her feet back towards the floor.

Once she felt her feet hit the solid ground, she focused her attention on the bundle of blankets, desperately trying to quiet the high-pitched wailing sound that came from his mouth, but to no avail. She looked around, panicked, desperately hoping no one would awaken. She rocked him slowly, shushing him as her gaze refocused to a nearby lamp pole. She could have sworn she saw a dark shadow.

He was close. Too close for comfort. It seemed her protection spell wouldn't last much longer.

Her gaze shot towards the numbers on the door in front of her. Gaping at her luck, as the digits on the door were identical to the numbers printed in ink on the paper she held tightly in her grasp.

She looked down at the blue fabrics, and gently opened the blankets a bit, smiling softly as soft blond hair came into view. His eyes clenched shut as he continued to bawl loudly. Her eyes welled with tears, one person was all it took to turn everything upside down. As if sensing his mother's sadness, he opened his bright blue eyes, his gaze held a curious tone, almost questioning why she was crying.

Gulping down the large lump that had formed in her throat, she placed the bundle on the step of the home, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. She moved her hands to her neck, and lifted the silver necklace that rested on her chest. She held it out in front of her, studying the design, A little X hung from it. Of course, with him being an infant he couldn't possibly be aware of the deep meaning the pendant held, but something told her that even when he grew older he wouldn't have such knowledge. In one swift motion the necklace was placed around his neck. "If you ever run into trouble, this'll help you." She murmured with sadness, stroking the golden tuft of hair with her finger.

She savored the moment, knowing it could very well be the last memory of her son she would have. Her eyes soft, as the corner of her lips lifted in a slight smile.

She figured it wouldn't be long before the people who resided within the home started to awaken. With that thought in mind, she jumped to her feet, and expertly pressed her back against the brick wall on the side of the house, listening as a door creaked open, and a small, surprised gasp was given.

She peeked out from the wall, watching with blurry vision as the female figure picked up the bundle and rocked him, yelling for someone, presumably her husband that someone had left a baby at their door.

She lifted a thin left hand, calling for a portal as a single tear slid down her pale cheek.

* * *

Roxas huffed a sigh as he placed the last cardboard box on the freshly polished hardwood floors.

Moving into a new town, hold that thought, a whole new environment, was not on Roxas's to do list. A foreign place that he knew close to nothing of, the only knowledge he had stored in his memory was the strange name that his mother claimed was unique, but he begged to differ. Twilight Town, if he remembered correctly.

He already held resentment against the town, ripping him from his friends and his possible future girlfriend all in the matter of two weeks time. He didn't have a lot to look forward too.

His mother had accepted the job offer without a second thought to her only child. He rolled his azure eyes at the thought, running a hand through his dampened golden locks. He frowned thoughtfully, it apparently rained quite often in Twilight Town, which was yet another thing he disliked, as he was used to hot humid weather during each season that passed.

He used to live on Destiny Islands, known for its breathtaking scenery, and white sand beaches, crystal clear water. A paradise, to be put simply. Parties that went on for hours on the beach, he had tons of friends, a crush he left. But for what? A small damp town that appeared haunted? Sure, his mother had managed to snag a better paying job, and she appeared happy, but why hadn't she thought of her son's feelings first? Maybe they could have talked it over, and he would have accepted it, maybe it wouldn't have been so hard.

"Roxas, honey, can you please get the rest of the boxes from the car, the movers already brought most of them, but a few more are in the trunk." His mother's voice echoed throughout the admittedly larger house than what they had previously lived in. That was one good thing, at least.

"Of course, Mom." He called back in slight annoyance, jogging down the narrow hallway, dodging the several boxes the lined the walls, and began to trudge his way toward the car in irritation.

Opening the trunk he instantly spotted two small boxes on the left side of the small storage space, he furrowed his brow in curiosity as he glanced quickly at the scribbled down name whose handwriting he could only presume belonged to his mother.

He picked up the two small boxes with ease, balancing them on top of each other, he swiftly turned to close the trunk with his left hand, hoping he wouldn't drop the items in the muddy cement.

Moving toward the white two-story house. He grimaced as he stepped in a mud puddle, not only wetting the bottom of his blue jeans that he had recently purchased, but also managing to get mud on them. "Stupid town," he muttered under his breath in annoyance.

Now that he thought of it, he had felt that a lot lately, namely since his mother had announced their departure.

In a few days, he would have to go to a new school, make new friends, and he was honestly nervous. He saw the treatment that new kids had gotten at his old school, and it wasn't good. He would probably receive plenty of curious stares.

Great. Just great. He was probably going to end up a loner, and be branded as an anti-social freak. Especially now in his irritated state, no one would want to approach him with the look of gloom on his face. He knew he wouldn't if it were someone else.

He dropped the boxes next to his mother who looked at him with a quick look of gratitude, as she was occupied, speaking on her cell phone, most likely to one of his aunts.

He dug through the box absent-mindedly, moving the picture frames, and old mementos, such as his old baseball jersey, and his first skateboard. But his eyes widened suddenly in curiosity as he pulled out a silver chain, with an X pendant hanging from it.

"Yes, first day of work tomorrow." His mother pulled at the end of her shirt, as she spoke with clenched teeth into the receiver. Roxas raised an eyebrow, amused. She almost sounded nervous, which was something foreign to Roxas, his mother hardly stuttered, or appeared nervous or jittery. He sighed inwardly, this job must have meant a lot to her.

But his friends and home meant a lot to him too...

He slowly turned his gaze back at the necklace that swung gently in his grasp, it glinted brightly in the dim-lit room. Almost as if it was glowing, it also gave off a purple tint, which was strange.

"Roxas is fine, he's right here actually. Do you want to speak to him?" He looked up at the sound of his name, shaking his head wildly as his mother approached him with the phone.

His mother getting the hint, took a few steps back, "on second thought, he's actually really tired at the moment."

Roxas smiled, grateful for her excuse. Watching her hang up the phone slowly, and look at him with disapproving emerald eyes. He sighed, knowing he was about to get lectured.

Once she was finished lecturing, he decided to ask her where the necklace had come from. He did not remember ever wearing it, nor did he remember it being around his mother's neck. He didn't even have a slightest clue of where it came from.

"Roxas," she started, uncertain, "I'm not sure what has gotten into you lately. This move is going to be good for us, I promise." She smiled weakly, ruffling his golden locks, much to his annoyance, as she moved to look in the boxes he had brought in.

"Mom, what is this?" He asked in curiosity, once she was facing him. A look of panic crossed her features once she spotted what he was referring too, but it faded as soon as it came. Once again replacing it with a calm facade, her eyes still a bit wide. Roxas tilted his head slightly to the left at her peculiar reaction.

"I-it's a necklace, sweetheart, it was your father's." she fibbed hastily, feeling a pit of guilt form at the bottom of stomach at the lie. Watching as her son stood to his full height.

"Oh." Came his only reply, he set down the chain on the newly bought marble kitchen table. His reflection showing his baffled expression, his mother wouldn't have reacted so strangely if it had been his fathers. Sure, she still froze, and gazed off in space whenever his name was mentioned, but she seemed to be recovering, the sparkle in her eyes were even returning.

"If you want it, you can have it." She smiled gently at him, clasping her hands together in front of her. She couldn't keep his past away from his forever, she was well aware of that. Letting him keep that necklace was a start, perhaps later this year she would finally gather enough courage and reveal her well-kept secret.

"Really?" He brightened noticeably, already grasping the necklace, he placed it around his neck. "Thanks mom."

He grinned widely, before bidding his mother goodnight. He swiftly started to climb up the brown carpeted stairs that led to his bedroom, plopping down lazily on his mattress. Exhaustion slowly taking over him as Roxas slowly let his eyes flutter to a close, and his breathing steady within a few minutes of silence, except for the loud pattering of rain against his window.

* * *

For the record, this _is _a Rokunami story. But it won't be completely focused on them, and Naminé won't be making an appearance until a few chapters.

Review please? And if you spot any grammar mistakes, or whatever, please inform me and I'll fix it as quick as I can. :)


	2. The Setting Sun

With a quiet sigh, Roxas tapped his fingers lazily against his desk. His face blank of emotion as he made an attempt of trying to concentrate on the lesson at hand, his teacher rambling loudly, but his ears couldn't quite process her words, strangely enough.

His gaze darted to the slow ticking clock above the classroom door in eager anticipation. Just three more minutes and he could finally escape the prying eyes of his fellow class mates.

His day was non-eventful, which he could not decide whether to be relieved or disappointed about. Sure, he had predicted correct about the curious stares, but nothing else had taken place. Other than the small awkward encounter with a short raven haired female he had clumsily crashed into earlier, nothing had occurred.

He had apologized in clear embarrassment, she had waved it off with a small smile, claiming it was nothing before scurrying away to her next class with her head bent towards the ground.

He grimaced inwardly at his social interaction skills, he should have at least given her a proper apology, not just mumble incoherently, before stumbling away.

A loud ring sounded, interrupting his scolding thoughts. He quickly gathered his belongings, hearing the teacher remind the students of their homework assignment before he walked calmly out of the door.

His book bag slung lazily over one shoulder, his hands buried deep within his pockets. His short-sleeved white t-shirt wrinkled do to his carelessness, his cream-colored pants were also clearly disheveled. His mother would constantly poke fun at his ability to become disordered just by the simple act of sitting down, she also claimed his untidiness had to do with his unruly hair, it matched his outside demeanor perfectly.

Dodging several people with ease, he quickened his pace upon seeing the metal doors come into sight. Freedom! He dramatically exclaimed within his thoughts, pushing open the doors, along with a few other teenagers, he smiled once the sun graced his tanned features. Thankfully today, it was no longer showering nor was it grey, the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky.

Roxas admitted that once the weather cleared up, Twilight Town held the same calm and relaxing feeling that Destiny Islands carried, which he was immensely grateful for, as he was getting homesick rather quickly. It had only been less than a week and he already felt like packing up and leaving back to the Islands.

Speaking of the islands, he had also noted that his supposed best friends had not given him a single phone call, even though, if he recalled correctly, they had promised they would call him every day. Some friends, he thought bitterly.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the raven haired girl he had bumped into earlier that day, sitting down on the school steps a few feet away. Mentally debating whether to approach her. Shrugging mentally, he calmly strode out to the female, who almost seemed as if she were in another world. His brow furrowed as he leaned down to her height, waving a hand in her face in hopes of catching her attention.

She jumped slightly, startled by his sudden appearance. Her surprised expression melted into a small smile upon recognizing the blue-eyed boy from earlier. "Hello." She shyly greeted, watching as his face grew sheepish.

"Uh, hi. Just wanted to say sorry for earlier, I was in a rush." He explained plainly, his eyes apologetic.

Her eyes shone with apparent amusement, "you're still on that? It's fine really, I get bumped into at least three times a day. It's bound to happen in a crowded hallway." She waved his apology off, watching as his cheeks grew hot. She hid an amused smile, leaning back comfortably on the brick steps.

"Uh, right." He responded, looking around, taking a sudden interest in a nearby oak tree.

The girl raised a thin eyebrow at his actions, it seemed she was going to need to introduce herself properly first. "My name is Xion, what's yours?" She spoke softly.

"I'm Roxas Fair." He replied simply, his gaze drifted back towards the girl now known as Xion.

"I've never seen you around here, are you new?" She questioned in curiosity, her eyes momentarily squinting do to the harsh rays of the sun.

He nodded quickly, "yeah, just moved here a few days ago." He answered with a slight tone of resentment. She lifted her brow at his tone, he didn't seem very happy with the move. She didn't think Twilight Town was that horrible, but she didn't push it any further, after all it wasn't her place to question him.

"Oh, so I'm assuming you haven't properly explored the town yet, am I right?" She smiled cheerily, tilting her head slightly.

He raised an eyebrow at her odd question, but he gave a quick shrug at her question, "haven't had the time."

She nodded slowly, her eyes brightening at the thought of her giving him a tour of the town she had lived in her entire life, maybe she could even get him to adore the small town like she did, if he knew all the interesting facts, and fun activities that were held in the town. "How about I give you a grand tour?"

He narrowed his eyes in a slight suspicion, looking her over with an unsure expression, "I'm not sure.." For all he knew she could be a murderer, or a psychopath.

She widened her eyes a bit, and stuck out her bottom lip, "I'm not a serial killer if that's what you're thinking!"

He kept his expression blank. For the most part, she looked harmless, but you could never be too sure. His eyes darted to her pleading eyes, and he gave a defeated sigh. Might as well make some friends while he was here, right? "Sure, just let me call my mom so I can tell her I'll be home a little later, okay?" Not bothering to wait for her response he pulled out his cellphone, and started looking through his contacts.

The raven haired girl stood up, and waited patiently for the blond-haired boy, rocking on her feet as she continued to stare at Roxas. He seemed uncomfortable under her gaze, so she focused her attention on the ground. Boy, did this new kid seem like he was standing under a rain cloud, hopefully she could brighten his dampened spirits, if only a little.

"Hi Mom, yeah, school's over. No, you don't need to pick me up, I'm actually going to explore the town a bit, is that okay?" She listened to his one-sided conversation with little interest, studying the imperfections of the concrete ground.

"Yeah, sure. I promise I'll be home before dinner. Bye Mom." He hung up the phone abruptly, stuffing it back in his pockets. Looking at her weirdly, "well, where are we going?" He asked, feeling strange. But he had willingly agreed to her proposition, so he couldn't back out now.

Her head shot up, a small smile graced her lips, "I already said, around town." She started to walk, a happy skip in her step.

He stared after her, already regretting his decision. Xion, noticing her new acquaintance's absence, stopped abruptly, she looked over her shoulder to see him staring at her unsure, she frowned slightly. "Are you coming?"

He stood silent for a few seconds, but eventually nodded his head, beginning to move towards her.

They walked a few blocks, For the most part in silence unless Xion had pointed at one of the many shops, recalling funny memories, or special moments, such as being the shop's first customer. Roxas admitted that Market Street had a home sort of feel to it, strangely enough, like he had been there before.

After wandering around, Xion had led them to a large square stage, there were plenty of seats a few feet away from the stage, and he spotted two plastic blue bats, his expression showed curiosity. He assumed that this area was made specifically for a sport tournament. Xion, catching his expression, smiled in mischief, climbing on the large stage, and grabbing a plastic blue struggle bat.

"What are you doing?" He asked, one eyebrow raised as she swung the blue bat around with ease. His azure eyes darted to the other bat that laid there, climbing on the stage as well.

"This," she gestured slowly to the item she currently held tightly within her grasp, "is called a struggle bat." She explained, pausing briefly, before continuing. "It's used for the struggle tournaments, which are occurring in a few weeks."

Roxas stared at the bat in wonder, he swung it around swiftly, noting the lightness of the 'weapon', he pointed it at Xion. Who, in return, grinned at him, also pointing her struggle bat at him.

"A struggle battle is one of the town's most popular events, it only happens once a year. The winner of the tournament receives a large trophy with four colored marbles stuck on it. It's quite the trophy." She smiled, glancing carefully at the struggle bat in Roxas's grasp.

"How do you play?" He questioned, taking a few steps backwards with a mischievous grin.

She crossed her arms across her chest, leaning her weight to the side, "well, it's pretty simple, you just have to hit your opponent until they fall on their backs, if they stay on the ground for more than five seconds you win."

"That's it?" He emphasized, once she confirmed with a nod. He confidently smirked, taking a light swing at the girl, who blocked his attack with ease.

"Is that all you've got?" She teased, taking a stronger swing at the spiked haired boy, who managed to dodge it by moving out-of-the-way.

"If that all you've got?" He playfully mocked in return, swinging at her, just grazing her upper arm.

She gasped in shock, narrowing her eyes in playful anger. "Welp, and here I was going to go easy on you." She stated, heaving a heavy sigh, she continued, "Looks like that's been thrown out of the window."

"I'm so afraid." He faked a terrified expression, it melted away. His eyes glinting with amusement, a bright smile graced his lips for the first time since he moved. He didn't want to admit it, but he was actually having fun outside the Islands, and without his childhood best friends too!

They playfully fought for another half and hour, before they both plopped down on the stage both breathing tired huffs, though their smiles were still in place.

"Welp, that just about ends the grand tour." She spoke with a fake accent, acting like a professional tour guide.

He stared at her weirdly, "you're a strange one." He calmly stated, jumping off the stage without any effort.

"You know, there is one more place I could take you, but I'm not sure I should take you there." She announced, predicting he would turn around with curiosity, she predicted correctly as he stopped walking.

"Oh?" He responded, turning slightly.

She smiled widely, "come on!" She swiftly jumped off the stage, dashing towards an ally way.

His gaze remained frozen on the alleyway, should he follow her? He sighed loudly, jogging to catch up with the short raven haired girl. He walked by her side, watching as she stepped up to a small stand, muttering something inaudible to the cashier.

She's up to something, he inwardly groaned, if she was tricking him into doing something foolish, he would have none of it! Absolutely none! So far, he had managed to find a few things about the strange girl, which was quite impressive since he had known her for less than five hours, but she was an open book, one of the things he learned was that she always got her way. Which including her making him do things he didn't want to do.

She was also one year younger than him, being the age of fifteen years old, she loved to collect seashells, and she adored animals, she was quite a talker too, which annoyed him slightly, but amused him as well. As she rambled whenever she got the chance too, which was often seeing as he wasn't a talkative person.

She walked slowly up to him, a playful sly smile on her lips, as she held up two light blue colored ice-creams.

"What is that?" He asked, partly in disgust, and partly in fascination.

"It's Twilight Town's specialty! Sea salt Ice-cream!" She exclaimed with excitement, encouraging him to take the ice-cream from her hand.

He hesitantly wrapped his fingers around the stick, studying the cold treat with an uncertain gaze. "Sea salt?"

She nodded, "sea salt."

Wrinkling up his nose in distaste, his stuck his tongue out and gave a small lick. His eyes closed as he tasted salt on his taste buds, but he opened them in slight surprise as the salt melted away, and sweetness soon took its place. "It's salty," He paused for a moment, "But sweet!" He exclaimed in childlike excitement, his eyes lighting up.

She giggled, taking a small bite of hers. "Isn't it great?! But this wasn't the place I wanted to show you, come on."

About an hour an hour later he sat on top of the town's clock tower, which overlooked the entire city, where Roxas grudgingly noted that the city was even bigger than the Islands, now that he got a proper view of the entire town.

"So," Xion started, finding the silence to be unsettling, "before you moved here, where did you live?" She asked with genuine interest.

He stood silent for a few seconds, staring at the melting popsicle with interest. "Destiny Islands." He answered, giving a tiny smile at the girl beside him.

She nodded her head recognition, "I bet they have a lot of seashells there!"

He nodded. "Yep! You would love it there."

"I bet I would." She smiled, before it dropped ever so slightly, gazing off into the setting sun.

Roxas's cell phone rang, breaking the silence that had settled peaceful over the newly formed friends, he appeared startled by the sudden noise, and quickly reached into his pocket. "Hello? Oh, hi mom. Uh, sure. I'll be home in a few minutes, okay?" Xion looked at him, finishing off her ice-cream, watching as Roxas fished the phone all and looked at her with apologetic eyes.

"That was my mom, she wanted me home since dinner's almost ready." He informed, swinging his legs back over the ledge.

Xion nodded in understanding, "yeah, my dad probably wants me home too."

"Let's get going then." He responded shortly, already making his way down the hidden staircase. Xion followed his actions quickly.

Once they exited the clock tower, they strode at the same pace, making casual conversation, when Xion suddenly looked apologetic. "Whoops, Roxas I just remembered that I lived on the other side of town. And, if I'm late, I'm going to get the biggest lecture." She explained hurriedly, "do you know how to get home from here?"

Roxas nodded, although he seemed unsure. "I think so." He answered, shooting Xion a small, reassuring smile.

She nodded, "alright. See you at school tomorrow, alright?"

He gave a small nod, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. She turned and began to run in the opposite direction. He wasn't going to lie, Xion's sudden disappearance was odd, she didn't mention anything about needed to get home so soon, she didn't even call her parents to tell them she wasn't coming home earlier, maybe that was the reason she needed to get home. He shrugged it off though, continuing to walk towards what he assumed was the direction of his house.

He wandered aimlessly through the town, heaving a heavy sigh as he walked up a small hill like road, his curiosity peeked as he spotted a large hole in the white wall that seemed to block off a forest. He leaned down, looking through the hole, he poked his entire head through. Scanning the eerie area, he grimaced inwardly at the spooky feel the forest gave off.

"What do you think you're doing?" A sudden raspy voice scolded. Roxas jumped up, his head coming in contact with the brick wall. He hissed in pain, retreating his head from the hole, clenching his eyes shut in pain, as his hands reached up and nursed the forming bump on his head.

Once the pain ebbed away to a dull throbbing he looked up, only to find a bald-headed old man with shocking gold irises, his ears pointy, as he glared down at the blue-eyed boy, he donned a black jacket and brown slacks, along with scratched and roughed up leather boots. Roxas furrowed his brow at his odd attire choices, but then grinned sheepishly at being caught.

"Tryin' to sneak your way into the forest, huh? That's not a very good idea." He stated, his voice coated with something Roxas couldn't quite place, but it was somewhere in the sinister category.

"Oh? And, why not?" Roxas questioned, glaring up at the intimidating man for startling him.

"Because, it's forbidden." He informed the windswept haired boy with a slight sneer.

"Really? So what happens if I accidentally trip, and fall into the hole in the wall? Will I get arrested because it's forbidden?" He questioned with a small smirk. The old man's temper seemed to flare at his irritating mocking. But he deserved it, making him hit his head against the jagged rock like that! He could have busted his head open, and bled to death!

"I'm tellin' ya boy, don't go anywhere near that forest, it's for your own good." His raspy voice warned.

"I won't." He responded, his lips forming a small smirk, already forming a plan on how to sneak out of his window later that night. And, he would make sure this man would hear of it, just to anger him.

"Good." He nodded stiffly, walking away with slow strides.

Well, that was weird. Roxas thought with a small shrug, looks like he would have to sneak out of his window tonight. His bedroom was located on the second floor of the house, but there was a white hidden ladder covered by green vines that snaked up the side of the house. Perfect, he thought with a mischievous smirk.

A frantic car honk interrupted his plan plotting, and his head snapped in the sound of the direction the sound came from, spotting his mother's small black car, she looked both panicked and angry. Great, he thought with dread.

Opening the door to the car, he smiled sweetly at his mother, sliding in his seat and pulling on his seatbelt. "Where have you been?! I called you over an hour ago?" She scolded, but at the same time, scanned him over with concerned features.

"I'm fine mom, really. I just got lost." He explained calmly, turning his gaze toward the window as the setting sun painted the sky with brilliant hues of orange, and pinks.

Second chapter!

Review please! Also thanks to delphigirl689 for reviewing! It's much appreciated.

Review please, at least two reviews this time? Pweeetty Pweaseee? :) Also thanks to those who put this story on their alerts and favorites!


	3. Entering the Forest

His tongue poked slightly out of the side of his mouth, as he focused his attention strictly to the task at hand. Finding the ladder had been harder than he had previously thought, which he found out the difficult way, as always.

He found himself close to falling more times than he would have liked, as the thin vines had an annoying habit of wrapping around his ankles if he moved the wrong way.

His footing slipped ever so slightly, leaving his foot dangling in the air. He grasped onto the old ladder for life, his eyes momentarily clenched shut in fear of falling. Sure, it wasn't the biggest of falls, but if he fell the wrong way he could break a bone, and on top of that, be caught by his mother. He definitely did not want to face her scathing wrath at this hour.

He heaved a heavy sigh, using his hands to climb down the ladder, his feet still hung dangerously in air. At about four feet, he jumped off of the ladder, landing on the soles of his black muddied sneakers. That wasn't so bad, keeping that positive thought in mind, he darted towards the direction of the wall. He wasn't even sure if he was going in the right direction, but he followed his instincts, something told him he was going the right way.

The wind whipped past him with a great strength, almost as if pushing him back, and warning this was a terrible idea. But he pushed forward determinedly, he wasn't going to back down from a challenge. Which was what he interpreted the older man's words to be, hinting at a challenge. Besides, what could be so threatening about a simple forest? What, would a fluffy rabbit come out of a rabbit hole and attack him? Unlikely, that was for sure.

Thankfully, after a ten minute run, he surprisingly stood in front of the wall he had stood in front of less than six hours ago. He didn't even know where he was going, it was as if someone was guiding him to the current location of it. He shook the thought off, he didn't even know why he thought of that conclusion, that was impossible.

His gaze hardened, hoping to conceal his fear. He bent down to half of his height, crouching into the hole with ease. Once he carefully crawled through, -he did not want a repeat of earlier- he crossed into the forest with ease. Standing to his full height, he took in the eerie surroundings with narrowed eyes, searching for any possible signs of danger. The forest looked ordinary, well, as far he could tell. The lamp-post from a few feet away from the wall, thankfully let rays of light seep into the dark atmosphere, allowing him a glimpse into the supposed forbidden forest.

Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a miniature flashlight, finally getting a proper look of he woods. Thin dark wooden trees sprouted from the ground in dozens, long dark green grass-covered the dirt path entirely, making it difficult to plow through. But he commanded his legs to move forward.

His ears picked up several noises, one was a distant chirping which he assumed was a bird, the other a whistling wind that made him want to dash out of there, but he kept his composure intact. Venturing farther into the woods with cautiousness, his eyes darting around in alarm. It could have been his mind playing tricks on him, but he swore he had heard footsteps approach him at an alarming rate. But each time he whirled around to the source of the noise, all he was met with was endless darkness.

He snarled in frustration, hearing the heavy footsteps yet again. "Come on, coward! Come out from your hiding place!" He yelled with clenched fist, in response, a distant low chuckle was given. Roxas scanned his surroundings in caution, that laugh, it sounds familiar, he contemplated with slight fear.

His eyes widened when realization dawned upon him, it was the man who warned him not to enter the forest! Was he playing tricks on him? Did he know what he was planning all along? Maybe he's just teaching me a lesson? Were the questions that swarmed rapidly through his head. He felt a presence behind him, but he didn't dare turn around, his heartbeat speeding up at the sound of another persons heavy breath. "I warned you, didn't I?" His raspy voice whispered lowly in his ear.

Roxas jumped at the voice, dropping the flashlight, frightened. His mind commanded at him to move, run, to do anything to get out of there, ut he stood frozen solid, his azure eyes were wide, and his head turned slight to the left, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person the voice belonged too.

"Well, you must suffer the consequences, Roxas." He spat his name mockingly, Roxas could hear the smirk in his voice.

Roxas widened stare turned hard, his eyes narrowing in anger. He turned, aiming a hit at the taunting man, but the man easily caught his hand, twisting it around painfully, and squeezing it with as much strength as he could muster. Roxas bit his lip to keep from crying out loudly in pain, hearing a loud crack coming from his wrist. He tasted the metallic taste of blood on his tongue, coming from his bitten lip.

The man shoved him roughly to the ground, sneering at him with a glare. Roxas landed hardly on his injured hand, a sharp pain shot down the wrist at the impact, causing a loud hiss of pain to escape his lips.

It was silent for a moment, the only sound being a sort of swishing of water, as far as Roxas could tell, there was no source of water near. It must have been his imagination.

"Are you tired?" Roxas looked up weakly at the man's voice, his blue orbs glaring in the darkness. As his words were spoken, a few seconds later, he felt a bone chilling cold travel through his entire body, he felt strangely soothed, the sharp throbbing pain in his wrist vanished after several seconds, all that was left was an odd tingling sensation.

The feeling was something he couldn't describe, but it felt similar to being plunged into the ocean during a frozen winter. He shivered at the thought, clenching his eyes shut. His hands forming into tight fists at his sides. He was helpless, he couldn't move! It was as if someone was squeezing him, preventing oxygen from entering his aching lungs.

"This is what happens when you don't listen, Roxas. Hasn't your mother taught you better than this?" He chuckled yet again, as if humoring himself with his own little inside joke.

Roxas seethed at his words, opening his eyelids, intending to burn holes into the man with his eyes, but instead, was met with a blue transparent.. bubble of some sort? Roxas appeared baffled, his gaze shooting towards the cloaked man, his hood lifted slightly, revealing golden irises. The elder man appeared smug, as he shifted the bubble to his left hand with ease.

"I have had my fun, as for now." He stated in a tone of humor, "I will let you go, but I shall warn you. Do not come back, or your fate will be worst than you condo imagine." He threatened calmly, and with a small flick of his hand, the bubble vanished.

Roxas dropped onto the ground with a loud thud, landing face first into the forest dirt. He grimaced, spitting out the mud in mild disgust. Whipping around to glare at the retreating figure, "what did you just do?" He shouted, getting to his feet quickly.

The elder merely turned, "that will be none of your concern. Now, go home. Oh, and don't you even think about telling anyone about this, or you'll regret it." He spat with venom, Roxas tilted his head in confusion. His brow furrowing at the harsh tone the man had used. It wasn't as if he was causing trouble around the area, he was just wandering around, he hadn't touched anything out of the ordinary, nor did he cause havoc.

A loud clap of thunder shook Roxas out of his muddled thoughts, he touched his wrist, wonderment circling in his azure eyes as not an ounce of pain arose at the gentle grazing.

* * *

Roxas trudged towards his home with slumped shoulders, light dark shadows circled his usually bright eyes. School had been miserable, no one else had attempted to approach him, he was late by half an hour, and Xion was nowhere to be found.

The first two were reasonable, he was new, it was expected. And, the second was also expected, he hadn't caught a wink of sleep last night, tossing and turning as the man's words echoed loudly in his thoughts. His golden irises and sly smirk permanently engraved within his mind.

The strange bubble that the elder man had engulfed him in had a few after effects. One that included sucking all of his remaining energy away, he was surprised he managed to make it back to his house without collapsing in exhaustion last night. The second effect was that his wrist and legs still tingled, as if they were numb.

He hadn't the slightest idea if what that man had pulled last night, but one thing Roxas was sure of was that it was terrifying, especially the maniac gleam that lingered within the man's eyes as he watched him squirm, desperately trying break free, as he struggled for air.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, forcing his mind drifting off to Xion, he hadn't spotted her once. Of course, he figured as much, they didn't have one class together. So he brushed it off hesitantly. Friends, especially newly formed ones, didn't see each other every day.

"Hey, watch out!" A voice shouted in alarm, it was then that Roxas broke out if his pondering thoughts, snapping his head up at the panicked voice.

Roxas's blue eyes widened in surprise, as a skateboarding blond came zooming straight towards him, his arms flailing around wildly as he struggled to stop. He crashed into the exhausted, unruly haired boy hardly. They both tumbled ungracefully to the cement, their limbs tangled uncomfortably, the skateboard skidded down towards the nearby hill. Roxas slowly turned his gaze on the skateboarder, glaring at him intensely with tired eyes.

The boy, in response, smiled sheepishly at Roxas. Struggling to stand, as Roxas's foot was currently draped over his waist. "Sorry, man." He apologized, as Roxas stared blankly at him, too tired to form any harsh words. "But it's not my fault! I did tell you to move." He furrowed his brow in irritation, his lips forming a thin line.

Blinking several times, noting the intense awkward air, Roxas quietly unwrapped himself from the stranger, hoping to get as far away from him as soon as possible. "Sorry." He offered dully, not at all meaning it. Wincing at the burning sensation on the area of his elbow.

"Don't sweat it, I guess. It was my fault too, I'm kinda learning how to skateboard. Thing is, I haven't exactly figured out how to stop." He explained in a sheepish manner, scratching the back of his neck. Roxas scanned him with suspicious eyes, noticing the school uniform he was currently clad in. The exact replica of his, meaning they went to the same school. Roxas searched his memory, trying to recall a time of ever seeing the guy he crashed into, he shrugged inwardly, not remembering his face.

What was with him and getting into horrible situations?! All he wanted to do at the moment was plop down on his mattress, and sleep. And, then, he would wake up, eat dinner, play video games, and go back to sleep. And, tomorrow he could repeat the process since it was Friday, thankfully.

He turned his attention back at the guy who was waiting for his response, "I noticed." He stated jokingly, lifted the corner of his lips in a failed attempt at a smile. Too tired to even smile? Now that was concerning.

"What's your name, don't think I've ever seen you around?" He queried curiously, crossing his arms across his abdomen.

"I'm Roxas, just moved here." Roxas explained simply, his expression blank, grasping the strap of his bag that was slung over his shoulder.

He nodded in understanding, "I'm Hayner, sorry about crashing into you, again. But, I gotta go, before that thing takes off across town." He shook his head in annoyance, lifting his hand in a wave, before taking off after the skateboard. "See ya on Monday!" Hayner shouted over his shoulder, disappearing as he ran hurriedly down the hill.

Roxas stood silent for a moment, as he watched the retreating figure with curious eyes. That was odd, he concurred in slight amusement. Continuing to drag his feet all the way back to his house, his eyelids becoming slits as he struggled to keep them open.

* * *

"Hmm," The deep raspy voice hummed, his eyes widening in new-found interest. His gaze drifting away from the small rounded glass table, which previously held a rather blurry image of an exhausted teenager.

His stare darted to a sulked figure in the dark corner of the room, his wrist heavily blinded with tight chains, connecting to the decaying brick walls. The residence was not of the fanciest structures, however, of more importance, it was dark and broken. No one would ever suspect him, of all people, to reside in such living quarters.

Blue ragged curtains hung from the doorway, providing somewhat of a door. Countless amounts of books and tables were scattered aimlessly around the small living space, a coat of dust layered the floors, and tables, oh, and of course, the prisoner sat deluded among the household items, as if he would let peasants touch his belongings.

The boy's face turned towards the ground, his eyes set into a hollow stare at the tiled floor beneath him, a deep frown sat upon his lips. His chocolate-colored spikes dusted with dirt, and smears of mud were smudged across his pale cheeks.

The hooded figure walked towards the teenage boy with long, slow strides. His hands clasped behind his back, as a small smirk snaked its way on his tanned features. "You should be grateful, after all, if it wasn't for my hospitality, you would be left in the mud." He leaned down, tempting the young man to lift his head and meet his golden orbs.

The spiked haired boy scowled, his gaze becoming hard as he glared at the floor in anger. "Even if I were outside, I would still be in chains." He responded blankly, wincing in pain as he moved, attempting to get into a slightly more comfortable position. Which proved difficult considering his hands were above his head, and sore from the tight rusted cuffs that encircled his wrists completely.

"That's correct, you would be." He nodded, straightening his height, looking down at the boy as if he were unwanted vermin. "I'm glad that you're finally coming to terms with your fate."

"Doesn't seem like I have much of a choice." His voice shook momentarily in defeat, as he furrowed his brow in anger at his mistake, not daring to glance up and see the clear satisfaction circling in his eyes at the hint of defeat he revealed.

"Precisely. No one is left to protect you, no one is here to rescue you." He paused, letting the words sink in, "It's really too bad, after all, considering the number of people years before would have come running, and yet, none of them remain, leaving you unprotected, and alone." Were his final words as he walked towards the curtains that led to the outside of the building.

His eyes closed upon hearing him leave, his tense posture relaxing slowly. He slumped against the brick wall, the chains clinging loudly as he moved.

Don't let his words get to you, a voice reassured calmly. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't put a finger on it, he could identify that it was a male, but that was it. He raised an eyebrow, maybe he was awfully closer to the brink of insanity than he would have liked. Nonetheless, he would follow its advice because if he didn't, he knew he would fall far sooner than he intended too

* * *

The reason I didn't update sooner was mainly because I had a very busy week, obviously. I'm actually very surprised at myself, usually I never update this quickly. So I'm a tiny bit proud of myself.

Sorry for the horribleness of this chapter. I know I'm not the best writer, but hey, I'm practicing, and hopefully in later chapters, I can look black and see how I've improved.

^Sorry for that, I needed to make myself feel better. xP

Also, who might this chained prisoner be? Hmmm. I think I made it pretty obvious. ;)


	4. Glimmering River

Roxas absconded with hurried breath, his hands pumping furiously at his sides, the black coat he was currently clad in whipped behind him. The hood of the coat covered his forehead and eyes completely, providing safety from any sort of dark magic, yet the heavy leather and tall boots proved running in the clothing was extremely difficult, almost losing his footing several times. Which, he could not afford at any expense.

The sharp hissing, noises that were then distinct, now echoed loudly in his ear drums, along with his rapid heartbeat. Shadows clawed and swiped at his feet viciously, but he managed to fend them off, shaking them off in mild annoyance, more than anything.

Long tanned fingers reached blindly in the chilling darkness, grabbing onto the back of his hood with vengeance, jerking him backwards. He was pulled to the dark mist, the hissing noises now as loud as ever, the claws and swipes now with perfect aims, scratching his figure without mercy.

Yellow glowing eyes provided a glow in the midst of the dark, casting an eerie sort of lightning. Roxas struggled against the shadows, fighting blindly with his bare hands. A loud sinister chuckle was given amongst the chaos, and just as Roxas fell defeated, a shining light shone through the blackness in the distance. Its intensity so strong, he squinted his blue eyes, lifting his head in attempt to glance at the source, to no avail as the monsters clung to his figure in a clenched grip on each of his limbs.

He let out a frustrated scream, closing his eyes, fighting back against the creatures with fierce strength, the pendant around his neck began to glow brightly, and as he continued to fight against them, the necklace glowed brighter. His sheer curiosity driving him, he needed to see where the light was coming from!

The light became more powerful than he could have imagined, as it reached its final stage, Roxas clenched his eyes shut as it shone with the intensity of the sun, it's light providing a warmth to spread across his sun kissed skin. The shadows instantly vanished from his body, no longer did he feel trapped, as oxygen returned to his lungs, and he eagerly took the air in with hurried breath. The necklace returned to its normal state, once again becoming a simple silver X, Roxas reached up, touching the pendant with fascination at its act.

But his attention soon drew back to the ball of that shone in light, the reason he made it out of the shadows alive. He walked towards it in mild caution, taking slow steps with an out reached hand. His hand barely grazing the light, it illuminated his curious features in the darkness.

He managed to gather the courage to grasp it firmly, and it instantly disappeared. Roxas's eyes widened briefly, his mouth gaping slightly as he stared at his hand which previously held the small ball of light.

A small chuckle was heard, and the room full of blackness dissolved, transforming into a room full of pure light. Roxas looked around with furrowed eyebrows, baffled at the change of appearance. "Don't be scared." The male voice reassured gently.

His eyes continued to gaze around the room, not finding the person whom the voice belonged to. "W-who are you?" He wondered aloud, feeling a sense of peace envelope him entirely.

"Who am I?" The voice echoed his spoken words calmly, pausing briefly before continuing; "that's not important at the moment, Roxas. However, what is important, is what you have got yourself involved with." The voice sounded upset, angry almost. Roxas frowned, apparent confusion circling within his azure orbs.

"Huh?" Came his incoherent response, his brow furrowing slightly. Involved with what exactly? It would have been good if someone actually took the time to explain things properly without speaking in overly complicated riddles.

The voice sighed impatiently, "the forest, Roxas. You crossed the border." He explained simply, trailing off in thought.

Roxas' confused expression melted away slowly, replacing it was a slight understanding of what the voice was saying. "You mean, last night? When I entered the forest, I crossed a border? A border to what, another town?" He frowned as he waited for the voice to answer his questions impatiently.

"It's not my place to tell you, I'm sorry." The voice apologized with a light tone, his cool demeanor changing immediately.

Roxas sighed in annoyance, balling his hands into fists. "That's it? After all of this, you can't tell me? What was the point then?" He questioned in apparent anger.

"The point, Roxas, was to urge you to go back to the forest. Now that you've gotten yourself involved, you have to finish what you've started." As the calm words were spoken, the room slowly began to diminish. The white mist that surrounded him previously melted into a dark, eerie area.

He lifted a hand in front of his face, barely making out the outlines as he walked with caution forward. Go back to the forest, huh? He shook his head to make the thoughts vanish, he couldn't go back. The man warned him, he threatened him, he seemed fit on killing him the first time. Who was he to go against his demands the second time? He wasn't even completely sure of what the man had pulled the day before. He was still a bit tired, and his wrist was finally gaining back feeling.

He wouldn't. He couldn't. Could he? Was he being ridiculous, and over-reacting? His mother told him he did that a lot. Yet, he couldn't quite bring himself to completely scratch out the words that were now echoing in his eardrums. 'Finish what you started.' What did he start? What border did he cross? He was confused, and, yet he was almost positive he was asleep, so there was no reason to be so baffled.

But everything felt so realistic, the shadows, their claws, the scratches on his body were still there. He heaved a sigh, dropping to his knees, and sitting. His frantic mind not slowing down one bit, even as he closed his eyes and relaxed.

The silence was supposed to calm him, but in reality, it only made him tense. It was too quiet, oddly.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a loud crash was heard. His eyes snapped open, wide with alarm, as he looked to the left of him, but was met with darkness, confusion flooded his features as he looked to the right, yet again he was met with nothing.

The sound of low growling was heard behind him, he stiffened in fear, turning his head towards the sound. Large yellow eyes were the only visible feature the creature had, he could tell it was getting closer because the eyes kept on becoming larger. He stood still, hoping the monster wouldn't see him in the dark, he knew it was a long shot, but it was worthy try.

The creature swiftly flung its hand up, revealing white sharp claws, and brought it down with great strength, as the floors shook from its aftermath. Roxas kept his balance, luckily, managing to dodge the second hand that was swinging down at him with great speed.

The creature roared loudly, and Roxas held his hands over his ears, trying desperately to block out the sound. The creature noticed this distraction, and swung his hand yet again, this time, catching Roxas off guard, and throwing him several feet away,

He stood up shakily, dusting the black sand that coated his blue loose jeans, he took notice that the black coat he was previously clad in was gone, which was strange. Roxas ignored his thoughts, and the sharp pain in his ribs as he foolishly charged for the large shadow, determined to eliminate it.

He raised a fist and swung with aim to the monsters left leg, the hit didn't do much damage as the monster looked down, and kicked him with ease, sending him flying. He landed hardly on his back, the air knocked out of his lungs as he struggled to get back up.

The shadow had made his way towards Roxas, leaning over him with a curious look, raising his fist as he prepared to lower it. Roxas shut his eyelids tightly together, waiting with dread for the punch that could potentially end him.

But it never came, as soft voice coaxed him out of slumber, he opened his azure eyes as light brown hair came into view, once his vision cleared, he recognized his mother peering over him, a concerned expression across her features.

Roxas, still dazed from sleep, looked at her confused, "what?" He managed as he yawned, stretching his limbs out while doing so.

"Nothing, you were just mumbling in your sleep, and your drenched in sweat. Nightmares again?" She queried with furrowed brows, looking him over.

He nodded slowly, knowing full well he couldn't keep anything from her, she always found out. Always. "Yep, nothing serious." He brushed off her concerns, looking around his surroundings. He was surprised to find that he was still nestled comfortably on the couch, but unlike when he fell asleep, a blue, cotton blanket covered his body, and he was also still in the clothes he had thrown on after he returned home from school. A simple black t-shirt, and beige colored short pants that went just above his knees. His checkered wristband still firmly around his wrist, and he hadn't even taken off his black converse. He must have been exhausted not to even take off his shoes.

She frowned, searching for the right words to say, she hesitantly fidgeted "Roxas, those nightmares have haunted you since you were little," Aerith trailed off, watching as her son's expression became irritated.

"Mom, it's nothing, just normal nightmares. Everyone gets them, right?" He moved to stand up, grimacing at the ache in his back. Maybe sleeping on the couch wasn't the brightest idea, he admitted inwardly.

She sighed, but was in no mood to argue with her thick-headed son, she watched him trudge tiredly to the kitchen, opening the pantry in what she assumed was to find something to eat. "Want anything special?" She asked, moving into the kitchen just as Roxas pulled out a box of cereal.

He shook his head, opening the refrigerator door, and retrieving the carton of milk. She reached inside the cabinets and placed a glass bowl in front of him, watching him yawn tiredly as he poured the colorful surgery flakes into the bowl. "I don't understand why you're so tired, you slept the entire day yesterday."

Roxas looked up, and shrugged, he was confused about it himself. "I don't know, I stood up late the other night to finish homework, maybe that's why." It wasn't a complete lie, he did do his homework pretty late because he had to finish it before he left.

"Maybe," she responded, becoming silent.

Roxas chewed silently, lost in his thoughts. Was she suspicious? Did she know about him leaving the other night? Knowing his mother, most likely. His shoulders slumped at the thought, great, just what he needed.

He lifted the bowl up, placing it in the sink slowly, turning around, he jumped slightly upon spotting his mother with her arms crossed across her chest. "I know what you did, yesterday. How could I not, you were so loud in the middle of the night, did you think I wouldn't hear you?! I'm so disappointed in you Roxas, sneaking out to god knows where, way past midnight. You're grounded for three weeks, meaning no video games and using the computer unless it's for homework purposes." She scolded sternly, and Roxas took the punishment in stride, sighing inwardly.

"Fine." He replied, moving past her and making his way up the carpeted stairs, he wouldn't argue with her, he knew later she would cut the punishment in half, meaning he was only grounded for a week and a half, tops. She always felt guilty afterwards.

He stepped into his room slowly, gazing at the blue walls with little interest, sitting down on his computer desk, spinning himself around in it out of boredom. The pendant that was sitting on is chest caught his attention, he studied it, in the dream, this was the thing that saved him, "why, of all things, did this save me?" he whispered to himself, staring at it with narrowed eyes.

He turned his gaze towards his window, "finish what you started." He repeated the male voice' words that were spoken in his dream, he felt conflicted. On one hand, he was tempted to go back to the forest, and on the other hand, he was terrified of what could happen if he did go, death, kidnap, maybe even worse. That man seemed capable of all three, with whatever he did back at the forest, and it seemed as if that was nothing to him. Merely child's play compared to what he usually did.

He stood up, pressing his palm flatly against the window, his hand flicked the latch, opening the window without meaning to do so, as if his hands were working on their own. He looked down, sticking his head out of the window, searching for the ladder, his gaze spotted it, and he hesitated, his lips forming a thin line. His eyes darted quickly to his bedroom door, before he stuck his leg out of the window carefully.

His mother wouldn't notice, after all, he was grounded, so he would most likely be in his room the entire day right? He lamely excused, convincing himself nothing would go wrong, he would be home before his mother noticed his absence. Yes, exactly, no more doubts, he thought as he carefully climbed down the ladder, this time around not nearly falling to his death.

He jumped off halfway through, landing on his feet with ease. He stood still, taking a long look at his house, before sprinting towards the direction of the wall.

He didn't slow down for a breath as he pushed himself forward, he needed to make this as fast as he could, the last thing he needed was to waste time by slowing down his pace.

He slowed down upon seeing the white brick, walking calmly to the entrance, and just like the night before, he slouched down, and walked into the forest. This time around, seeing as it was about eleven something, the light shone into the forest, no longer was it an eerie area, it was filled with sunlight and the forest trees were surrounded by flowers of every color, and several types of birds were perched on tree branches.

"This place is a lot less intimidating when it's not one in the morning." He though out loud, looking around, venturing deeper into woods in fascination.

Suddenly, the earth seemed to vibrate violently as Roxas was knocked off of his feet, his face coming in contact with the healthy looking grass. It tasted healthy too, apparently, he thought in annoyance as he spit out the dirt for the second time that week.

He used his hands to help him push himself off of the ground, standing up in confusion, what was that all about? Was that an earthquake, did they even have earth quakes here?

He brushed his jeans off with his hands, and upon looking around, gasped in alarm and stepped backwards, tripping clumsily over a tree root, his blue eyes as wide as saucers.

There, in front of him, was the strangest thing he had ever laid eyes on! It was a small girl, she looked to be around his age, with pale blonde hair that went just below her shoulder, but the strange thing was that she had wings sprouting from her back! Wings sprouting from her back! He breathed heavily, finding himself to be hallucinating.

She was lying on the forest ground, her hands tucked on the left side of her head, supporting her as she slept soundly. He stood up, and cautiously walked towards the pale figure. She was either sleeping or dead, from the way her skin-tone was, he wouldn't doubt the latter.

Crouching down in front of her, her gently laid a palm on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. Concern circling in his blue orbs, as she didn't awaken. "Hey," he urged softly, "hey, wake up." He coaxed her slowly out of her deep slumber, he watched with furrowed brows as she twitched once, turning over to avoid the nuisance that was keeping her from her slumber.

She mumbled incoherently, as he attempted once again to awaken her, brushing off his hands with weak attempts. He sighed impatiently, sitting down on his bottom, his elbows on his knees, as his chin rested in his palms, studying the blonde with a curious expression. "You know, I don't think it's the best idea for you to sleep on the dirty ground with a white dress on, especially with those costume wings you have on." He advised softly, watching in amusement as her eyes fluttered open. Long sweeping eyelashes lifted, revealing tired light blue eyes.

"Costume?" She questioned in bafflement, placing a hand over her mouth as she yawned.

He nodded slowly, becoming confused as well. Why did she seem so oblivious? "Yeah, your wings, right?" He responded, nodded towards the feathers that sprouted from her back.

Her eyebrows shot up, and her eyes widened slightly, as she tilted her head to the left, "those aren't a costume, you act as if you've never seen one of my kind before." She let out a small amused giggle, sitting up.

"Your kind?"

She nodded slowly, "yes, my kind. I'm an Angel, and from your appearance you seem like a wizard, maybe?" She queried softly, her eyes scanning him, making him uncomfortable.

"An angel? Are you some sort of escaped mental asylum patient, or...?" He trailed off, looking at her unsure.

"I'm an angel, and no, I'm not crazy." She pouted, her eyes darting to the sky for a swift moment, before meeting his eyes

There was a silent pause for a moment, Roxas tried to keep his breakfast in his stomach, while the pale blonde just sat there in bewilderment at his peculiar reaction. "A-are you alright?" She asked hesitantly.

He nodded swiftly, "oh sure, sure, I'm perfectly fine. Just hallucinating, you're not really here, nope, must have been that creepy stuff that guy pulled yesterday. Yep, that's it, o-or maybe I'm dreaming."

She looked on blankly, blinking, "maybe you should introduce yourself?" She smiled encouragingly at him.

He stopped his rambling, "I-I'm Roxas Fair. You?"

"Naminé." She smiled softly.

"Naminé." He repeated, finding her name to be unique, as it escaped his lips.

"Now, how did you get here Roxas?" She asked slowly, as if asking him a question would cause him to revert back into the wreck he had been just a few minutes earlier.

His gaze drifted, "uh, well, I entered the forest, the ground shook, and then I found you. That's pretty much it." He shrugged, frowning at the lack of details he'd provided. He sounded like a lunatic.

Her mouth gaped slightly, putting the pieces together, her mind working quickly, could it be true? Had he come from the human world? "Y-you come from the human world?"

He blinked several times, "yes?" He answered slowly, unsure of what she meant.

She stood to her feet quickly, her hands covering her mouth, "how could this be? I've heard of one of us entering your world, but never the other way around."

"Your world?" He stood up, and grabbed her shoulder gently, looking at her with pleading eyes. "Listen, Naminé, I'm really confused. Could you just tell me where the heck I am?" He begged.

Her eyes softened at his expression, as she looked at his hand on her shoulder uncomfortably, her eyes darting back to his, hoping he would get her hint to stop touching her. He did, luckily, as he quickly removed his palm, smiling at her sheepishly. "Well, Roxas, it seems that you've somehow entered our world."

He raised an eyebrow, "your world? Care to elaborate?"

She sighed lightly, her right hand moved to her left upper arm, grasping it as she thought of a way to explain the complicated situation. "Well," she started uncertainly, "there's a border that separates us, two completely different universes. Your world contains normal human beings, while mines, well, contains all kinds of creatures. I'm assuming you've heard of mythical creatures, right?" She queried, looking up at him.

He nodded in reply, not sure where she was going with it.

"Well, that's basically it. Somehow you've managed to cross the border that separates us, you're in our world, Roxas." She finished, examining his expression carefully as her words were spoken.

Roxas stared wide-eyed at the pale blonde, before a small smile spread across his face as he stared at her incredulously, "...you're kidding, right?"

She tilted her head at him, her eyes showing frustration, "it's true."

"Oh really, prove it." He challenged, a smirk replacing his smile.

She looked around, her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she tried to think of a way to make him believe her. She turned swiftly, and fluttered her wings, smiling in triumph as she began to lift herself off of the ground, performing circles and twirls in midair.

His eyes followed her movements in disbelieve, his mouth gaping slightly as she performed a back-flip, she was clearly showing off. "Okay! Okay fine! Come down now." He shouted loudly, waving his arms frantically to catch her attention.

She obliged with a small gleeful giggle, landing on her feet gracefully. "Do you believe me now? Because you look a bit feint." She playfully teased, clasping her hands behind her back.

He chuckled weakly, "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

"No, I don't think you are."

"Well, you're an angel then? What kind of other creatures live here?" He asked in curiosity.

She looked thoughtful, "well, there are dragons, fairies, mermaids, centaurs." she was cut off as Roxas interrupted her.

"Centaurs? As in half man, half horse?" He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

She looked offended, "hey, I'll have you know most of them are complete sweethearts!"

He shook his head, "sure." He paused thoughtfully, "hey, what were you doing napping on the floor when I found you?"

She looked sheepish, "I can't just tell that to strangers."

"Strangers? I thought we were friends?" He pouted playfully, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Surprised at how quickly he had warmed up to the supposed angel, normally he would be far more quiet, and observant.

She huffed in annoyance, ignoring his teasing, "how do you suppose you're going to get home?"

He stopped, "I-I'm actually not sure. Shouldn't you know how to get out of here?"

She shook her head, smiling apologetically, "no, I'm afraid not."

He looked panicked at her words, "my mom is gonna freak out once she finds out I'm gone!" He thought of how much longer he would be grounded once she found out he left his room, once again sneaking out.

There was an uneasy silence that had settled between the two, Naminé unsure of what to sure to assure him, and Roxas reeling over the large obstacle in his well thought out 'plan'.

"How about I show you around here, and maybe we'll come across the border?" She suggested shyly, her wings fluttering slightly.

He looked at her suspiciously, about to question her bizarre motives, but was interrupted as she suddenly leaned closer to him, her eyes glinting in clear mischief as she took flight, her wings moving in swift motions, they were barely visible. "Hey, I thought you said we could look for the way out of here." He huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Who said we weren't?" She responded hastily, her lips forming an impatient pout as she floated midair.

"Oh? And, what am I supposed to do? Just stand here casually while you look around? " He asked wryly, shifting his weight to his left foot, sighing.

She shook her head, ignoring his tone as she tapped her chin thoughtfully, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she came up with nothing. "Alright, fine, I guess you're right." She admitted sourly, beginning to descend back towards the ground at a slow pace.

"I'm assuming you know your way around well?" He queried, looking at her in a way that made her look down shyly, turning her gaze downward at her blue sandals.

He saw a small movement of her head, which he took as a yes, he sighed in relieve, maybe he would get out of here after all.

She began to walk, gesturing for him to follow her, leading him to a pathway that led to who knows where. She pushed a few vines and branches at out of the way, and there in plain view was quite the sight.

In front of him was an endless valley, a glimmering river streamed to the right, calm waves pushed spare twigs and sticks along its course, the river was wider than most, about thirty feet. Roxas grumbled to himself, how the heck were they, -well, actually, he since Naminé could fly- supposed to get across that?

Aside from the river, there were several large boulders randomly strewn across the fresh grass, and from what Roxas could tell, the other side of the forest appeared dark, and eerie. Much more scarier than the one in a Twilight Town, which was saying something.

She smiled at him reassuringly, as if reading his mind. She slowly sat down on the rough textured rock, as if waiting patiently for something. He followed her example, and sat down also, although he was baffled, he wasn't about to protest resting his feet. It had been a long day, you know, with finding out he entered a mythical realm of some sort.

He closed his azure orbs, his lashes creating shadows across his face as he bathed in the sunlight, becoming relaxed as the waves calmed him down. Namine was quiet, though, which felt unsettling, and he had only just met the girl.

He opened one eye, sneaking a glance at the pale blonde, his gaze turning concerned as he examined her expression. She looked sad, lost in thought, he debated whether he should talk to her, but inwardly shook his head, deciding that he didn't know her well enough to question her troubled features.

A large splash startled him, as he almost lost his balance on the rock he was currently perched on, his eyes widened in alarm, looking frantically for the cause of the sound.

"Hi, Demyx!" She cheerfully greeted, all previous signs of sadness wiped away, taking its place was a bright smile.

"Hello, Nami!" A male voice responded back with the same amount of enthusiasm. Roxas looked around, still finding no signs of the source of the voice.

"Roxas," she started in amusement, "look down." She advised him.

His gaze turned downward, almost jumping out of skin as he spotted a mo-hawked blond haired man, who seemed unfazed by his surprised reaction. "W-why are you swimming in there?!"

He looked amused by the question, looking to Naminé who was trying hard to conceal her entertained smile. "What's up with him?" He asked, the man now known as Demyx scanned him warily.

"He's a human, to be put shortly. He somehow ended up here, and we're trying to find the way out so he could return to where he came from." She easily explained.

Demyx' eyes widened in disbelieve, swimming backwards, his hands lazily folded behind his head, appearing calm. "So, you're a human, huh?"

Roxas nodded, stupefied as Demyx lifted his feet, only to reveal a blue scaled tail in place. His jaw dropped a bit, okay, this was it, he had officially gone insane. A mermaid?! A mermaid?! Really, the seemingly normal man had to be a mermaid of all things?

"I don't think I've introduced myself, I'm Demyx, and I'm sure you've taken noticed of the tail." His eyes drifted towards the blue scaled tail, looking back up at Roxas and shooting him a grin.

"I-I, you're a mermaid." Was his blank reply, and Demyx seemed annoyed by his choice of words.

"I'm a merman!" He huffed, swimming towards the Naminé, "rude friend you got there." He stated in joking way, Roxas blinked, wasn't he upset just ten seconds ago?

"I know," she agreed, playing along, letting a small giggle escape her lips before turning serious, "Dem, you don't know how to cross the border, do you?" She asked hopeful.

Demyx shook his head, shooting Roxas an apologetic gaze, "sorry guys, I've never heard anything about it, to be honest."

Naminé sighed, but nodded, "thanks anyway, Demyx."

"No prob, Nams." He grinned, turning to Roxas, "nice meetin' you Roxas." Were his last words as he dived under the water, disappearing from sight.

"Well, guess we're going to have to consult her." Naminé informed, slowly turning her gaze on the unruly haired boy.

"Her?" He questioned curiously, trying to prevent himself from losing hope of going home.

"Her." She confirmed hastily, a smile playing on her lips.

* * *

This chapter took me long enough, blah.

Maybe if the Internet wasn't so distracting I would have put this up several days ago. -Glares at Tumblr-

Um, anyway, if you spot any grammar, or spelling mistakes, tell me? I edited this in ten minutes, so there's bound to be some mistakes.

Naminé makes an appearance, and so does Demyx, I think their roles fit them.. Demyx whose element is water, and, well, Naminé is dressed in white, so she's an angel. Boom. ;)

Please leave a review! They make me verrry happy! :)


	5. A Magical Girl

"So, Roxas," she started uneasily, her hands clasped behind her back, her fingers absent-mindedly fiddled against each other. "What's it like where you come from?" She originally hadn't even thought of the question. However, it being the first thing that came to mind she easily went along with it. The uneasy silence that had blanketed the two was unsettling, and Naminé figured distracting Roxas from gloomy thoughts would help brush away the tense air. That, and it couldn't hurt to know more about the unruly haired boy, seeing as she had met him less than a few hours ago.

He seemed surprised by her question, not at all wanting the focus to be on him, he wasn't much of a talker, admittedly. He paused, searching for an answer, what was it like where you come from? Other than eight hours of boredom a day, and unexpected twists and turns that can come at you any time of the day and change your life without you even expecting it, or incurable diseases that plagued more lives each and every day, along with people whom you trusted more than anything stabbing you in the back, it was fan-freaking-tactic. But he opted on keeping his bitter words to himself, not wanting to destroy the blonde's image of where he came from. He predicted it would be all rainbows and butterflies that she painted in the depths of her mind. He inwardly snorted at the thought, he wished.

"It's nice, I guess." He answered her slowly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. It wasn't at all a lie, there were some things that were great about his home. One of those things being his newly founded obsession over the frozen treat Xion had introduced him to a day before, his mouth watered as he thought back to the taste of sweet and salty goodness.

Naminé's gaze wandered from Roxas' face, down towards the trimmed grass as silence once again enveloped them. That wasn't what she was expecting, she was hoping for some sort of insight on the world she wished to see desperately. Her curiosity towards the other realm only strengthened when her other friends had told them of their doings, and how they looked over sad souls who needed guiding. Why couldn't she do that? She looked up abruptly, not wanting her train of thought to go quite in that direction. Not while she was with him at least, she knew how her outward appearance changed drastically when she became dejected. Instead of the glowing figure she usually was, she became dull and slouched. Her wings deflating in frustration and sadness, and the silly frown that would grace her lips. No, maybe helping Roxas was her way out of here, and that was why she met him in the first place! This was her chance, she just couldn't go thinking self-loathing thoughts when her chance was standing in front of her.

Picking up her slowed pace considerably once her confidence returned, she gestured for Roxas to follow her as she recognized her surroundings. The old wooden shack shouldn't be too far from here, if I'm not mistaken, she pondered inwardly, sky blue eyes drifting across the acres of trees, in hopes of spotting the violet light that constantly flickered brightly from the small window the shack possessed. "Come on, Roxas, hurry! We're not that far from where we need to be!" She informed as she caught him trudging towards with a dull expression.

"You said that twenty minutes ago." He pointed out with a blank expression, yet his eyes revealed a bit of amusement. "Even though it feels like its winter around here, I don't mind walking." He amended upon noticing her glare. It wasn't so much intimidating as it was funny, but he kept the though to himself. Who knew what angels could do when they get angry, he pondered on the thought, had he really just acknowledge that the girl whom he was walking next to was an angel? And so casually? It was bizarre! It imagined their roles were switched and somehow she managed to fall into his world, the looks they would receive! And what would be his excuse, or um no big deal just escorting her around, oh, uh, why does she have wings sprouting out of her back, oh she's an angel, no big deal. See how pathetic that sounded?

"It feels like winter around because it is winter." She stated matter-of-factly, nodded her head once her gaze fell on his bewilder expression, "spring's just around the corner though, that's why it's much less chilly than it is. Luckily for you, since you're clothing doesn't provide much warmth."

His eyebrows knitted together as he carefully eyed the dress she was currently clad in, the white material ending several inches above her knee. She sure was one to talk, what, did angels have some sort of cold weather protection? The notion seemed highly ridiculous, yet also possible considering every sarcastic thought that had passed his mind was proven true. "In my world, summer is just around the corner." His voice strangely held a bit of resentment, "winter is the worst, and just as summer was so close I could practically taste it, I'm going to have to live through it again?!" His hands reached out to his hair, pulling at the ends to add a dramatic effect.

Naminé let a small amused smile grace her pink lips, "that's too bad." Came her unsympathetic reply, "but I'm sure that once we get arrive at her house she'll get you out of here, and you'll be back where you came from, basking in the hot weather before you know it." She hoped her words lifted his spirits a bit higher, she loathed standing by while people mopped around, not providing comfort or encouraging words.

He managed a small, thankful grin, and yet again silence overtook them, the only sound being their light footsteps as they continued at a steady pace towards whomever Naminé had advised they seek. Whomever the woman was, he hadn't even gotten a name, she only referred to her, as, well, her, or she, whether she had a name, or merely Naminé wanted to keep an element of surprise was a mystery, but he had a slight hunch she just liked seeing his jaw slack once he realized what sort of mythical being was standing in front of him.

"I know exactly where we are!" She exclaimed suddenly with excitement clear within her light blue eyes, they widened slightly as she scanned her surroundings.

"You mean, you didn't know where we were before?" He pointed out wryly, crossing his arms over his chest as he narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head as she lost her composure for a brief moment, sputtering slightly.

"No, no, I knew exactly where we were heading! It's just, now I know that we're close." Closing off the statement with a convincing smile that showed her teeth.

He hummed uncertainly at her response, "sure." Came his sarcastic reply. He wasn't the best with direction either, but she could have at least informed him that they were lost. Frowning thoughtfully, he couldn't blame her though, he had no clue on how she even was certain they moved forward, all that could be seen were identical tall, thin, trees. That was it, nothing else.

She distantly spotted the violet light that was flickering on and off, a defiant sign her potion shop was open, which Naminé was extremely thankful for, imagine coming all this way and it being closed. "That's it, see the light coming from that small shack window." She lifted her right hand, and pointed her forefinger in the direction of the small worn down shack.

Roxas had to squint his eyes to be able to see it, but when he did he bolted towards it, surprising not only Naminé, but as well as himself. He didn't know what possessed him to dash towards it, but he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. If this person was his only hope, -well, not only, but it sure felt like it- than he wouldn't waste anymore time in getting to her house.

For all he knew, she could leave at any moment, she wasn't waiting, or expecting them to arrive. "Hurry up, Naminé!" He shouted over his shoulder, encouraging her to move faster as she lifted herself off of the ground and sped towards the shack at the same speed as him.

"I don't know why you're in such a rush, she'll be there." She comforted confidently, "it wouldn't surprise me if she's already waiting for us."

Roxas stared up at her confused, how would she know they were coming? Not getting to properly question the blonde as he stopped abruptly, finding himself to be a foot away from the door. He examined the shack uneasily, it seemed beaten and battered, with too many scratches and dents to count, it probably would fall the moment a storing gust of wind blew.

How could people live in there?

Naminé gracefully landed on the soles of her feet as she knocked on the door a few times, shooting the nervous boy a reassuring smile over her shoulder. "You'll see." Were her only words as the door began to slowly open.

Roxas waited with bated breath, as the door opened, only to reveal a girl around his age, maybe a year older. He stared at her confused, glancing at Naminé to make sure he was seeing right. This was the girl who could potentially send him back home? He inwardly snorted, yeah right.

She about the same height as Naminé, with her hair cut into a layered bob that barely reached her shoulders, Roxas noted in amusement that the color of her hair resembled that of a red velvet cupcake. She was clad in a very difficult looking outfit, a lavender mini-dress made up of three zippers that were sewn on the material, two appeared to be only for appearance, strangely enough. She wore a white top underneath the dress, and the black hood that was attached to the back of her dress was lifted, meeting the middle of her head. And black sneakers similar to his own covered her feet.

To be put shortly, mythical beings had a strange taste of clothing.

"Oh, hello Naminé! Long time no see." She greeted with a smile, her gaze turning on Roxas, scanning him with curious eyes. "Who's your friend?"

Naminé looked at Roxas expectantly, urging him with her eyes to introduce himself. He nodded in understanding, smiling kindly at the red-haired girl before him. "I'm Roxas, uh, and," he trailed off, not knowing exactly how to tell her his bizarre story, he looked to Naminé, almost pleadingly.

"You're a human." She stated matter-of-factly, her hands made their way on her hips as she gazed at him knowingly. "How did you wind up here?" She asked, tilting her head slightly to the left, confused.

"Long story short, he crossed the border without meaning too." Naminé intervened, "and now, he needs a way to get back home." She explained, Kairi nodded, baffled at the sudden visit. Nonetheless she easily moved aside, gesturing for them to enter her home.

"Thanks." Roxas mumbled, not to keen on entering the shack, who knew what sort of insects and rodents were roaming around. But it wouldn't be too kind of him to refuse the offer of entering her house, after all, she was going to help him get home. With that thought in mind, he stepped inside, Inaudibly gasping as the outside of the shack looked nothing like the inside.

It was large and comfortable, from what he could tell, they were currently in a small hallway, one that led to the living room, he presumed.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Kairi! Nice to meet you Roxas, you must be feeling overwhelmed with all this new information, huh?" She giggled in amusement, sharing a smile with Naminé.

"Are you kidding, he was close to fainting." Naminé revealing, trying to contain her laughter as she spotted Roxas's non-amused expression.

"You would've had the same reaction, if you were in my place." He defended himself, frowning.

Kairi led them to a polished silver door, opening she climbed hastily down the stairs, leaving the two blondes with no choice but to follow her as they were overcome by darkness.

I should have followed my instincts and ran away as far as I could, Roxas thought grimly as he blindly walked down the stairs. Trying his hardest not to trip and fall down the flight of stairs, because not only would he sprain a bone, but he would also take Naminé down with him, as she was walking in front of him.

Suddenly light evaded his vision, and he fought the urge to close his eyes against the harsh rays of light. Not sooner than it came, it left. Leaving the two blondes baffled, as white dots littered their sight.

Roxas blinked rapidly, taking note that at least he could see in front of him now. He glanced around, gaping at the ball of light that Kairi held in her palm, he figured that was the source of light.

So she was a wizard, or something? He was close to face palming, he

really was. But he was to terrified to make any other movement with the exception of his feet as they continued down the spiraling staircase that appeared to go for miles, as well as it had no railing to hold on to.

A few minutes later the trio reached the bottom, much to Roxas' relief, and Kairi lit a nearby lamp with the same ball of light she carried in her palm effortlessly, her tongue protruding out of the side of her mouth as she lifted the lamp to her book shelf, looking for a specific book which held the realms history in it. It was quite a rare find, so she took extra care of it. Other wise her grandmother would have lectured her endlessly.

The two blondes sat on the tattered couch in the middle of the room, watching as Kairi browsed through the large collection of books that held information on magic spells, and potions.

"Found anything yet?" Came Naminé's soft voice, Kairi shook her head in reply, "huh, that's weird, you always have your stuff neatly organized." She trailed off, watching eyes Kairi's eyes grew wide with realization, an I audible gasp escaping her parted lips.

"A few days ago, a man came into the house, in the middle of the night. We found him down here, and my grandmother zapped him with a few strong lightning spells, and he scurried away. He must've took the book with him!" She cried out, that book had been in her family's possession for a century! That thief, evident anger flashed in her blue orbs as she remembered how the man fled the house, clutching his chest. That was probably where he held the book, not because he was in pain!

Roxas slumped in his seat, it was hopeless. He would be stuck here forever! He would never see Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, his mother, or even Xion again. All of which were waiting for him back home, and now he was stuck in this stupid place forever.

"Roxas." A sympathetic voice came to his ears, and he felt a light hand on his shoulder, he turned his head, only to be met with a gaze full of pity. Feeling slightly pathetic for the evident hopelessness on his face, he smiled back weakly, trying to assure the blonde that he was alright.

"Hey, cheer up!" The red-head attempted to cheer the moping boy up, shooting him a small grin. "Just because I don't have the book with me at the moment, that doesn't mean I don't have some useful information for you. I have every book in this room memorized." She gave him a wink, putting her hands on her hips.

Roxas perked up instantly at her words, listening intently as he leaned forward in interest, "oh? So that means you know how I can get out of here?" He queried curiously.

She let out a small hum, nodded her head, "yep! All you have to do is go back to where you came from when you first entered, walk around a bit, maybe knock on a few trees and you should be back. It's vice-versa on how to come back, well, if you want too." She stood tall in triumph at her knowledge, before becoming serious. "You are coming back, right?" She wasn't completely sure, but the vibe this strange outsider gave was strong. One that felt similar to being close to a- her eyes widened immensely at the realization.

"Er, why exactly do I have to come back?" He never considered the notion of returning to this... Land? World? Whatever it was... He wasn't even sure he wanted too.

"Because," she cried out, a hint of desperation in her voice, she paused in surprise, as did the two blondes, staring at her as if she'd grown another head. "I mean," she started sheepishly, "because.. because, well, after discovering such a fascinating land full of exciting things! Why wouldn't you want to come back?" Ending with an embarrassed chuckle, she turned her gaze downward. Taking an interest in the wooden panels below her feet, her hands clasping behind her back. She couldn't tell him, not now! Perhaps when he visits next time, she'll maybe, just maybe slip it in.

Roxas nodded slowly, finding her statement logical enough, "I guess you're right." He agreed with a small smile, "and plus, I have to come back and see you guys sometime." Feeling a bit bashful at his words, he let out a small chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I'd hate to go through all that trouble of helping you, and than find out you're never coming back, Spikey." Naminé raised an eyebrow at the unruly blond, holding back a laugh at his scowling expression, to which he turned his gaze, rolling his eyes at her apparent amusement.

"So, you two better get going, you know how it gets once it turns dark." She gave a knowing glance at Naminé, much to Roxas's confusion. Sharing secretive glances, he thought inwardly, should I question this?

"Yeah... I know, Kai." She let out a small puff of air, standing from her seat. "Come on, Roxas. Kairi's throwing us out of her house." She joked, as Roxas stood to his feet, also.

"That's right! And, I really need to explain what happened to the book to my grandmother, she's going to be so devastated." The red-head bit her lip tentatively, "it really is a shame."

"Do you have any idea of who took it?" Roxas couldn't help but ask, it sounded immensely sketchy. You know what happens when it gets dark, and people stealing books that have plenty of knowledge in them... He narrowed his eyes pensively, they couldn't have been connected. Heck, in his world, robberies occurred each day, around Twilight Town especially.

Kairi shook her head, "nope. I don't even have a clue what he looks like, but he was sporting a dark cloak, that covered his entire face, strangely enough."

Naminé looked between the two, a hint of panic on her face, "Roxas, we really have to get going. Maybe tomorrow you could come back and talk more." She suggested, gesturing towards the stairway.

"Uh, okay, fine. After school, I'll be back, and we can talk more. I have a lot of questions for you both."

Kairi and Naminé smiled in understanding, "of course! And we'll answer them all, tomorrow." Kairi promised with a nod of her head, shooing the two blondes out of the room and forcing them to climb a few steps.

Naminé shot her a wary glance at her actions, shaking her head briefly, "okay, okay, we're going!" She protested as Kairi made a playful swipe at her, forcing her to take a few more steps.

"Tomorrow, I'll meet you both at the the cove, okay?"

"Got it!"

"Sure, I'm guessing Naminé knows where this 'cove' is?" He glanced uncertainly at Naminé, who nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Yep! It's our usual hangout." She answered, reaching the top of the steps and walking towards Kairi's door. Letting themselves out, as Kairi was occupied with her Grandmother.

Roxas nodded absent-mindedly, his thoughts frazzled immensely as the events of today came crashing down on him. Tomorrow, he reminded himself, his questions would be answered. And maybe they would even know something about the man with the golden irises.

* * *

The brunet slumped against the wall, his eyes drifting longingly towards the opened window, the thin, blue material drapes flapping calmly in the slight breeze that came in to the house, and the moon provided a soft glow to the house that was bathed in an eery darkness.

The boy jumped, startled as his hearing picked up a loud slam of the door. His gaze snapped to where he believed the door was located, blue, tired eyes narrowing as he could make out a tall shadow, he assumed the figure was none other than him.

The man who ruined his life, he thought with an inward snarl, hearing the man mutter a string of curses as he paced. Sora narrowed his eyes, his head tilting, curious as to what got him so worked up. Hardly nothing made him so angered, at least, not since he had been held here.

"Damn boy! I warned him, I warned him not to enter." He growled, his fist coming in contact with the kitchen counter top, as a loud bang echoed through the small building.

Him? He wondered, his eyebrows knitted together.

As if sensing a gaze on him, the man turned swiftly, all anger diminishing as he focused his attention on the teenage boy, who inwardly grimaced as attention was shifted to him. "You're still awake, are you?"

Not bothering to reply to him, the boy turned his head stubbornly.

"Hmm, it's a shame, if you would have answered me, I would have told you about who I was talking about." A sly smirk snaked his way on his face, as he dragged a nearby wooden chair directly in front of the prisoner, plopping down on the seat with a quiet thud.

Slowly turning his gaze to the man with the golden orbs, as he shot him a fierce glare.

"He's someone of high importance of you, but it looks like you've missed your chance." Standing up from the chair, the leather boots that covered feet providing a loud thud as he walked calmly to his room.

"Wait!" His voice called, "who are you talking about?"

"I told you already, you missed the opportunity, foolish boy." Came his taunting reply, watching as the boy responded with an angry glare. How predictable, he thought, shaking his head at the miserable prisoner, he climbed up the first of many stairs.

"However, perhaps the name Roxas rings a bell?" He lingered with a small smirk, waiting to see his reaction. The boy slumped against the wall, shaking his head slowly, "well, than that's too bad."

"Goodnight," He paused thoughtfully, "Sora." He added, his voice holding a mocking tone.

* * *

Whoops, late. But at least not a month late.

Theres most likely a lot of mistakes in this chapter, if you spot any, tell me and I'll fix it! :)

Thanks for reading, please review? It doesn't take long at all, just a simple Review that shouldn't take more than a minute to type. ;)


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